Symphonic composition enlivens beloved tale

The 23rd annual 'Tunes & Tales' will feature the world premiere of a classical work by internationally recognized composer Lowell Liebermann.

The 23rd annual 'Tunes & Tales' will feature the world premiere of a classical work by internationally recognized composer Lowell Liebermann.

The concerts, presented by the Westerville Symphony of Otterbein University and the Westerville Public Library, will pair the Margery Williams story The Velveteen Rabbit with the new composition for a chamber orchestra by Liebermann, who will attend the events.

"'Tunes & Tales' is unique in the industry," said Peter Stafford Wilson, music director of the Westerville Symphony.

"I don't know of another orchestra that partners with the local library to create repertoire."

In the past, the symphony has commissioned works such as a piece by Rocky Reuter, assistant dean of the Capital University Conservatory of Music in Bexley.

That offering - Dinosaur Dances, based on the Jane Yolen book - was performed in 1999, 2002 and 2010.

The obstacle with a program such as "Tunes & Tales" stems from the idea that not many compositions are based on books for children, said Emily Hickman, executive director of the Westerville Symphony.

"There are Peter and the Wolf and Carnival of the Animals," she said. "Other than that, it's a pretty unique idea to have work geared specifically for kids."

The series this year meets two goals that the orchestra has set for itself, she said.

"It's been kind of on our wish list to, No. 1, share the program outside the Westerville library system and, No. 2, commission a work specifically for a book."

The commission of The Velveteen Rabbit became possible with a $40,000 grant from the PNC Arts Alive initiative.

Hickman applied for the grant.

The securing of the writer represented the other part of the project.

"Lowell Liebermann is on the cutting edge of the composing world," Wilson said.

Liebermann was visiting central Ohio for a performance of one of his works when the director approached him.

"He said, 'I've been dying to do a children's piece like that for chamber orchestra,'" said Wilson, who struck a deal with Liebermann and allowed the composer to choose the book.

Liebermann, Wilson said, spent hours in the children's section of a bookstore.

Recent titles pose a problem because the rights to the books are considered difficult and expensive to obtain.

Finally, Liebermann spotted a work that tugged at his heart - The Velveteen Rabbit.

"There's a depth and a richness in that story that you don't see in some of the newer stories," he said. "It is a very touching story. It's basically about death and loss but in a very non-threatening way."

"The result is just absolutely beautiful," Wilson said of the 30-minute composition.

"Like in Peter and the Wolf, each character is sort of assigned a signature tune or light motif."

Liebermann approached the effort as he would any other.

"The fact that the target audience is children makes no difference in how I write it," the New Yorker said. "You can't write down to children; you can't condescend to children. They always know it. Kids have an innate sense of taste, and they can always tell.

"The challenges in this piece are more in the form of how the narrator plays a party. It's a very tricky balance with the narration and the music."

The program, to take place in a conference room at the library, will provide an intimate atmosphere for the children, who will see images from the book projected on a screen, Hickman said.

"For a lot of children, I think it's their first exposure to symphonic music," said Linda Uhler, manager of youth services at the Westerville library.

The blend of audio and visual elements, she said, stimulates youngsters to experience a book in a new way.

Two bonuses this year - thanks to the grant - involve the ability to take the show on the road and to give copies of the book, while supplies last, to participating families, Hickman said.

The presentation will be repeated on May 7 and 14 at libraries in Columbus and Worthington.

"Taking it on the road has always been a dream," Wilson said. "We learned at the Ohio Library Conference that other communities would love to have this."

Wilson can't wait to have the public hear what Liebermann created.

"He said, 'You know, I've worked on this piece for hundreds of hours, but I still tear up when I get to the end,'" the conductor said.

And the composer, Wilson said, hasn't left the work behind.

"Lowell has already started fleshing it out for full orchestra." Michele Lemmon is a Columbus freelance writer.